


alone as always

by closedcaptioning



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Canon Compliant, Gen, Ozai (Avatar) is an Asshole, Zuko (Avatar) Angst, poor Zuko, that’s an actual tag I didn’t just make that up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-23
Updated: 2020-06-23
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:53:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 215
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24882610
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/closedcaptioning/pseuds/closedcaptioning
Summary: In Zuko’s dreams, everything is always the same, and always different.
Relationships: Zuko/Happiness (One-Sided), zuko/angst
Comments: 11
Kudos: 46





	alone as always

Zuko’s been having bad dreams.

The dreams start off just as indistinct images, as vague feelings. He sees the way Zhao’s face abruptly twists up as he pulls away from Zuko, defiant even in the face of certain death. He hears the way Azula mockingly calls him  _ Zuzu, _ the incline of her lip somehow condescending and sickly sweet at the same time. He feels the heat of the flames from his ship, wreathed in fire and sinking slowly into the water.

(and sometimes, he’ll catch glimpses of a looming shadow, a fiery hand, a  _ Please, I am your loyal son- _ )

But those aren’t the worst ones.

(and sometimes, Zuko will fall into a world that is warm without burning, where fire doesn’t mean fear and nothing scars. There, fire means the hearth, warm and safe and familial. 

The  _ Zuzu _ on Azula’s tongue doesn’t drip with scorn, isn’t patronizing, but is the affectionate nickname it was meant to be. His mom never left. Iroh plays his guitar and sings to him like he did when Zuko was a kid. His father claps a hand on his shoulder and says  _ I’m proud of you, son _ .

There, Zuko feels full, feels safe. He feels like he has a family, and because of that, he feels  _ hap- _ )

  
  


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_ wake up _


End file.
